Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma today presented a tax-free deficit budget of Rs 526 crore for the current fiscal, while informing a “special package” has been sought from the Union Finance Minister to improve roads.
It is estimated that the state’s total receipt during 2013-14 would be Rs 8609 crore. The centre’s grant-in-aid remains the bulk of this total at Rs 4761 crore. The state’s own tax revenue is pegged at Rs. 1371 crore.
The estimated total expenditure during this period would be Rs.9, 135 crore or a deficit of Rs. 526 crore, which is around 2.62 per cent of the gross state domestic product (GSDP).
“The key feature of Meghalaya’s public finance regime have been an over dependence on central resources (about 80 per cent) …A sizeable gap exists between the resources needed to finance development and infrastructure, and the resources available. The nascent and small private sector will not, in the future, be able to contribute significantly,” Sangma, who also hold the finance portfolio, said while presenting the budget.
He nonetheless informed that the state have sought a special package from the Union finance minister to improve roads in the state. “We propose to widen and upgrade all major district roads, state highways and other strategic roads. I have sought the intervention of the Union finance minster for a special package…,” he said adding, a plan outlay of Rs. 455.44 crore has been proposed for this sector.
Sangma added that state would try to explore other ways to mobilize fund from different agencies. He said that the state would send its recommendation to the 13th Finance Commission highlighting the state’s requirement, besides it is negotiating on a 100 million dollar loan component from the Asian Development Bank to support “human capital development.”
The state Government has moreover estimated an amount of Rs. 210 crore for schemes and programmes to be implemented with the North Eastern Council’s assistance.
The Chief Minister said that the Meghalaya government has decided to propose a tentative plan of Rs 4, 141 crore for the current fiscal. Out of this allocation, 26.43 per cent is earmarked for the social sector, 19.90 per cent for power, 10.34 per cent transport, 9.36 per cent for agriculture and allied sector, 6.47 per cent irrigation and 4.88 per cent for rural development.
The non-plan expenditure for 2013-14 has been estimated at Rs. 3482 crore. The government has proposed an outlay of Rs 607 crore for the education department, Rs 433 crore for police, Rs 309 crore for PWD, Rs 250 crore for agriculture and allied sectors and Rs 179 crore for health.
Along with the budget, the Chief Minister also presented Rs 2332.36 crore vote-on-accounts for proposed expenditure during the first quarter of the current fiscal.
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